


To Wait for You

by tyruslookbacks



Series: Hydra! Peter Parker [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BAMF Peter Parker, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Family Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hydra Peter Parker, M/M, Metal Arm! Peter, Peter Parker Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:29:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24155881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyruslookbacks/pseuds/tyruslookbacks
Summary: Ex Hydra Assassin Peter Parker was rescued and taken to Wakanda for recovery. While he was put into cryo, the rest of the team has to wait for his treatment to be done. Some must return to their lives while others are willing to wait forever.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Hydra! Peter Parker [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1743199
Comments: 2
Kudos: 110





	To Wait for You

Steve is sitting in the waiting room intently watching the door his friends walked into, waiting for someone to walk out or invite us in. He sees the door peak open and Tony walks out with red-rimmed eyes and heads towards his room, he wants to go ask what’s going on but he knows to leave him alone if he’s upset. When Steve looks back to the door he catches a glimpse of fiery red hair in the corner. Natasha was as stoic as ever but after knowing her for so long he could see the tension in her shoulders. Steve peered at the watch on his wrist, it’d been two hours since they went in and Bucky is still in there.

Bucky walks towards the door with one last look to Peter’s concave cheeks and relaxed face. He walks out the door balling his fists to keep them from shaking, Steve makes eye contact with him and gestures his head over to a secluded corner, asking him to follow. Steve jumps up and goes to sit next to his best friend, he notices his shaking hands and the far away look in his eyes. “Are you okay Buck? What happened in there?” He asks gently, “I could just see the fear on his face whenever they froze him, it was so easy for me. I was resigned to my fate and had so much more time to process what happened, it’s only been a few days for him.” Bucky explained. Steve nodded his head thoughtfully “While the two of you share a lot of experiences, his age and the timeframe are definitely going to make things a bit more difficult.” Bucky made a noise of agreement and leaned into his friend's body, resting his eyes.

~~~ 

Bruce has spent the past three days learning from the Wakandans but mainly Shuri. He has shadowed the people watching Peter and he can’t help but want to learn all about his new abilities and how they got them. He decides to talk to Wanda about her opinion on it, he walks to her room enjoying the beautiful views of the city on the way. He timidly knocks on her door, she opens the door with a smile “Hello Wanda, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something?” Bruce asks, “Sure, come on in.” Wanda says opening her door, welcoming him in. 

The two sit in the chairs next to the large windows facing the Wakandan landscape, “I know the basic information of how you got your powers but I have reason to believe Peter got his in a different way. I was wondering if you had any idea of how that happened or how his abilities might compare to yours.” Bruce asked, Wanda thought over the request with a slight frown. She didn’t like the idea that the scientist was only asking her because Peter wasn’t currently able too, “Before I say anything, I want you to know that I don’t want you to ask Peter about any of this unless he speaks about it first. The process of getting my powers wasn’t the best and from what I can tell from speaking to the others, Peter's treatment has been the worst out of all of us. He won’t want to relive it until he’s ready to.” she stated, narrowing her eyes a bit to make her thinly veiled threat clear. Bruce could hear the protectiveness in her voice and thought back to when he saw the incision scars on his body and knew she was right, “I promise not to bring it up.” he said, raising his hands in surrender, Wanda nodded with a small smile.

“I was only exposed to the stones' energy and managed to become more powerful than the captain, although the side effects were vast. From what I can tell he has telepathy and telekinesis, though that is all he’s demonstrated so far. Due to the scars on his arm, I believe that somehow HYDRA was able to capture some sort of byproduct from the mind stone and put it into his body.” Wanda shivered at the image, Bruce had a disgusted but curious look on his face. “So do you think he could be more powerful than you?” he asked. Wanda tilted her head “I’m not sure, the stone affects everyone differently. If he wasn’t previously enhanced he most likely wouldn’t have survived. His was a less raw exposure so you would think it won't be as strong.” she said honestly.

The scientist was intrigued, “I wonder if he only demonstrates the same powers as you because he’s already enhanced everywhere else?” he thought out loud, “I’m not sure why we have the same powers…I do feel this connection with him. I had one with my brother but this one is different…” Wanda said stiffly. She zones out for a while, remembering when Spiderman was missing and she started getting all of these awful nightmares of a man that looks a whole lot like Peter… Bruce clears his throat and Wanda looks up at him with a sheepish smile “Sorry didn’t mean to zone out there.” Bruce dismissed it with a wave of the hand, “Thank you for telling me about this Wanda. I think I’ll be going now.” he said with a grateful smile, she waved at him as he went out the door.

~~~

Bruce was walking back to his room when Steve jogged up to him. “Hey Bruce. I have a mission in a few days so I was wondering if you wanted to come back with me tomorrow?” Steve asks falling into step with him, Bruce thinks about his schedule “Sure, I’m doing a guest lecture this week so i’d better get back to prepare for it. How is Bucky doing?” he asks his friend. Steve sighed “He’d become good friends with Spider Man and was worried when he stopped showing up to the tower, so for him to find out this is what happened and how HYDRA is still finding ways to mess with him is upsetting.” Steve didn’t want to mention his friend's crush or overwhelming guilt. 

Bruce nodded his understanding “I had known Spider Man's identity from the beginning because of how often he got hurt. I remember a few times when he would be talking about something they did while I fixed him up.” he said with a small smile. Steve smiled, “That definitely sounds like him.”, the two stopped walking when they reached Bruce's room, “I’ll see you tomorrow Bruce.” Steve said as Bruce opened his door, “Goodnight Steve.” he said watching the soldier walk away.

~~~ 

As the sun rises the next morning Bruce and Steve are packing up and preparing to leave. Steve grabs his packed bag and walks out of his room, heading for his teammates room. He knocks on his door and smiles with the smaller man who opens the door with a yawn, “You get up way too early Steve.” “It’s not that early, plus I heard T’challa mention a team breakfast today.” Bruce perks up at that “As long as they have coffee I’ll be happy.” The two share a laugh and head towards the lounge with their luggage.

The two walk into the dining area to see everyone but Bucky grabbing delicious smelling food from a buffet. Bruce goes to wait in line and chat with Natasha. Steve walks up to Wanda who is fixing herself a cup of coffee, “Hey Wand, have you seen Bucky this morning?” she nods “Yeah he was going to visit Peter before breakfast. I don’t think he’d mind some company.” She smiles and goes to sit at one of the tables.

Steve makes his way down the familiar route to the doctors suite, he knocks on the door even though he knows Bucky heard him walk here. He opens the door and sees Bucky sitting in one of the waiting room chairs that he probably pulled in here, “Hey Buck.” his friend turns to look at him with tired eyes, “Hey Stevie, why aren't ya eating?” he says looking away from Peter. “I came to see if you’d be joinin us. How is he doin?” Steve says, his brooklyn accent slipping in, “He’s badly malnourished, has nerve damage in his shoulder and they’re saying that the treatment will take slightly longer because of how often he was wiped.” Bucky says, the sadness visible in his features. 

Steve looks at Peter’s sunken cheeks and grey skin and feels guilt wash over him, he’s the captain he should have noticed his team member and friends' disappearance earlier. “Bruce and I are leaving today, are you going to be okay?” he says, laying a hand on his best friend's shoulder, Bucky stands from the chair with a fake smile, “Of course punk. Let's go get some food.” The two friends walk back to the dining room in relative silence. 

~~~

The team was standing in the large waiting room, exchanging goodbyes and promises of updates on their team members progress. Steve wrapped a strong arm around Bucky, “It’ll be alright Buck, he’ll be back to normal before you know.” he said, relishing in the chuckle that rumbled from his friend's chest. “Thanks Stevie, I don’t know when I’ll be back up to the tower. It seems wrong to leave him alone, I know he wouldn't leave me if the roles were reversed.” Bucky said, pulling away with a sad smile. Steve looked at the honest admiration in his friends eyes and wondered if he knew how deeply he felt for the younger hero. “Just make sure you call sometime.” The captain said with a smile, as the two walked over to the jet. Everyone waved as the jet took off leaving Natasha, Wanda, Tony and Bucky to watch over their friend.

~~~

Tony spends the majority of his time in Wakanda learning from Shuri and her team. Within a week he’s working with them to make Peter’s new arm, it takes their combined effort to figure out how to make the hand sticky like his flesh one. The arm is a stunning dark gray with veins of crimson and cerulean cascading across the mechanics. They make a cast of the old arm so it matches Peter’s fuller muscles. Tony notices Bucky observing the team a few times and distantly wonders if he’s watching them make the arm so he knows his own arm isn't a weapon.

~~~

A few days after Steve and Bruce left, Tony called Natasha and Bucky into his room. The two spies walk in with suspicious faces, Bucky’s more so than Natasha’s. “What did you want to talk to us about Tony?” Natasha asks, sprawling on the couch. Tony looks down at his hands for a minute, not used to asking for help. “I wanted to ask about Peter, I’ve gone through my fair share of traumatic experiences but nothing like this… I want to know what to expect when he gets out.” Tony said plainly, like he wasn't doing something unheard of for him.Bucky looked at him skeptically, he shared a look with Natasha, who nodded. “Alright Stark, you’ve read his file, yes?” Bucky asks, Tony nods. “I know Peter didn't want me to but since when do I listen?” he says with a smirk, but quickly remembers himself.

“They didn't put much down besides the training programs he went through. Though you can see from his scars, he was tortured into submission and brainwashed.” Natasha said with anger lacing her words like poison. “Peter already had PTSD from Homecoming so it’s fair to say this is only going to add to that. When I came out of cryo it was confusing to say the least. I had memories that didn't feel like my own, both good and bad. After going through something like this you don't come out the same person you were before, you find a new normal, a mix of all the people you've been,” Bucky explained. Natasha nodded along to his words, watching the tension build in both men’s shoulders.

“My treatment wasn't as severe as Bucky’s but he’s right, one of the worst things we could do is expect him to be the cheerful kind hearted boy he was before. You can’t unlearn or unsee the things you’ve been forced to endure. We all know how anti-killing he was but now he’s been forced to kill 23 people. You don’t forget the lives you've taken, purposeful or accidental.” Natasha said, watching the horror on Tony’s face grow as a muscle in Buckys jaw twitched. 

“How do you know it was that many?” Tony asked gravely, “As soon as we got here I sent word to a few people asking if they knew of the Winter Spider. The number varied depending on the country, the lowest being six and the highest 32.” She spoke honestly. Tony’s mind spun at the idea of Peter killing that many people. “Alright well that’s… not the best.” He says, feeling unequipped for this. “Just be there for him, let him know he’s not alone in his guilt. You’ll never understand what it's like to have your insides scraped out and to have something else put in.” Bucky says, standing up from his chair and leaving the room, slamming the door on the way out. Tony’s mouth had dropped slightly as the tense silence echoed through the room. 

Natasha cleared her throat, “It’s a hard topic for him to talk about so forgive his temperament. Bucky barely talks to Steve about what happened, to talk about one of his best friends having to go through the same thing he went through, but worse, is difficult for him. He might have a point about understanding though. Peter has been through the unimaginable, yes we have both gone through hell but very little can compare to losing your free will and being forced to kill. They will both have the curse of remembering what it was like, with scars and memories alike. All we can do for them is be there when they need us and listen when they ask.” Natasha says, getting up to go check on Bucky. “Try to put yourself in Peter’s shoes and think of what you would need.” She says, laying a soft hand on a silent Tony’s shoulder before walking out of the room.

~~~

Bucky thrashed against the rage clouding his eyes, he knew he shouldn't have left like that but talking about the shit Hydra did to the man who blew his arm off is not exactly pleasant. He made his way to see Peter, wishing he could talk to him. Peter always knew what to say whenever he remembered, Bucky never knew how he did this but was always grateful for it. He opened the doors to see Peter, half dead and armless, Bucky gave into the rage. 

He let out a cry of anguish and fell to his knees in front of the tube, letting the wave of flashbacks take him away. Bucky was remembering the first time he killed as the Winter Soldier, when Natasha walked into the room.

She saw the empty look in his eyes, she knew he wasn't here. Natasha cursed herself for not getting there quicker, she sat next to him on the floor, knowing better than to disturb someone in the midst of a flashback. From the floor she looked at Peter, her ребенок паук, the kindest person she’d ever met. Natasha let herself relax for a few rare moments, she watched the life return to her friends eyes as he noticed her presence. He looked over at her with such raw grief, Natasha couldn't help but pull him against her, surrounding him in her safety. She shut down her face when she felt him start to silently sob against her, the strong woman knew it wasn’t just for everything their friend went through but for himself too. 

After Bucky’s sobs subsided he let himself be taken to Natasha and Wanda’s room to rest. Natasha brought him a glass of water while Wanda used her powers to help with his pain. When Natasha walked into the room holding most of Bucky’s weight she could tell what happened, she put his hands over his temples and worked to calm the grief he felt. Bucky soon fell into a dreamless sleep, his head in Wanda’s lap. She silently asked Natasha what happened, “Tony asked to talk to us about Peter and he got upset and went to Peter’s room. When I got there he was having a flashback, it took him about ten minutes to notice me before he started sobbing.” She whispered sadly, watching Wanda run a hand through his hair. “I was afraid of that… Does Stark know of his reaction?” Wanda asked quietly, Natasha shook her head “I told him to put himself in their shoes, but nothing else. It’s not my information to share.” she said solemnly. Wanda nodded her praise as they descended into silence.

~~~

Tony sat in the chair, staring at the door long after Natasha left. He couldn't really understand why Bucky had gotten so upset, he was a genius, of course he can understand. Or at least that's what he thought before Natasha asked him to put himself in Peter’s shoes. Tony has been sitting in the chair for hours trying to imagine being a young adult that got kidnapped, experimented on, tortured, brainwashed, forced to murder and attack your friends. The older man has always been blessed with an active imagination so he can picture the lengths at which Hydra would go to break someone. Sure he can picture it but trying to think of actually going through it? Tony probably would have dropped dead before he could've thought to contact someone. 

After many horrible imagined scenarios later Tony found himself owing a certain 100 year old and apology and a newfound respect for his younger companion. A few days later he makes his way to Bucky’s farm, trying to quell the anxiety in his chest. When he sees the two huts bathed in the afternoon light the glare from a metal arm catches his attention. Bucky is sitting under a small tree with his eyes closed, Tony feels bad for interrupting his alone time. “Sorry, I should have let you know I was coming.” Tony said, coming to stand a few feet away from the old man. Bucky sighed, opening his eyes to look up at the obviously nervous man. “It’s fine, I was just meditating. I should probably apologize for storming out of the room after you asked for our help.” He said unsteadily, not used to being alone with the man he fought against. 

Tony gestured to the ground, asking if he could sit. Bucky shrugged dismissively, “It’s fine, honestly. I wanted to talk to you about… everything.” Tony said hesitantly. Bucky tensed, unsure of where this was going, “Do you mean everything, everything?” he asked slowly. The inventor nodded, “I wanted to tell you that I no longer blame you for what happened with my parents.” Bucky’s mouth dropped open slightly, but Tony continued speaking “After you left, Natasha told me to put myself in your shoes, to try and understand. I know that I can never fully comprehend what you and Peter went through, but I know now that it wasn't you that killed them.” Tony said, watching the guilt wash over the man’s face. “I- don’t know what to say, thank you, I think. I’ll always blame myself for what happened… It means a lot that you tried to understand.” Bucky said with a small but honest smile. Tony smiled back, “I guess I should forgive you for blowing my arm off now.” Bucky lightly jokes, watching the other man wince. “Hey, come on we were fighting!” Tony exclaims as the two share a laugh, albeit a bit awkward. 

~~~

It’s been a week since Steve and Bruce left Wakanda and Tony got woken up by his phone ringing loudly next to his ear. “Hello?” He grumbled into the speaker, “Tony? Are you asleep?” Pepper’s voice spoke. Tony shoved his head into the pillow and groaned loudly, “Not anymore, what’s going on Pep?” he said, sitting up. “I know you want to be there for Peter, Tony but I can't run this company by myself. I need you to come back to the city.” Pepper’s tired voice says. Tony rubbed a hand over his face, sighing at the inevitable. “I know Pep, i’m sorry. I’ll set up an arrangement to fly home tomorrow.” He says tiredly. They talk for a few moments before saying goodbye and continuing their days. 

Tony makes his way to the lab after coffee to check on the progress of Peter’s new arm. He makes sure they know to contact him if they have any questions and resolutely ignores the looks that say “We know more than you”. He lets himself relax outside for a few moments when Wanda walks out sitting in the chair next to him, “It’s very relaxing here.” She says instead of a greeting, “I know you already talked to Nat and Bucky about this but I wanted to talk to you too.” Wanda explains. Tony looks over at her with a confused look, the young woman never seeks him out. “When our country went to war our hometown was destroyed. Bombs fell all over, two were dropped on our building. The first went off and killed my parents, my brother and I were trapped in the rubble for two weeks. Everytime the concrete shifted we waited for it to go off and kill us. For two weeks we stared at a bomb that read ‘Stark Industries’.” Wanda distantly felt her eyes begin to water so she took a moment to collect herself. 

The older man watched as Wanda told him the story, presumably of why she hates him. He cursed Obidiah in every language he knew, Tony couldn't bring himself to blame her for hating him. “I'm so sorry.” He whispered brokenly, Wanda’s watery smile greeted him. “It’s alright, I no longer blame you but it’s a hard thing to forget. After we were rescued my brother and I became activists, got arrested for rioting more times than I can remember.” She smiled wistfully. “Eventually a man came up to us, offering help with the protests and a better place to live. Soon after we moved in they started explaining to us their plan for creating soldiers to fight in the war. Of course we said yes, we just wanted peace for Sokovia. The men started experimenting on us and other children. My brother and I were the only ones to survive the tests, they locked us in rooms with the raw power of the stones bleeding in the air. I got my powers and my brother got his, everyone who survived the initial tests showed different results. We were forced to live in tiny observation rooms and practice our powers, they would drug us to keep us docile and submissive. We would communicate through a telepathic bond I create but once we were done with training they manipulated us to not need control words. I know Peter’s experience is different but we still share the same powers, that’s never happened before.” Wanda explained.

Tony took a few moments to fully digest what she said, “I- I’m so impressed. You’ve managed to still be that great person even after going through all that. You said everyone’s powers were different, do you know why Peter shares your powers?” he asked. Wanda shook her head with a small smile, “No, Bruce thought it might be because he was already enhanced everywhere else. Peter was only exposed to a byproduct of the stone so his abilities shouldn't be as strong as mine. Whenever Pietro and I went through the testing we formed this connection with each other… It was like I was able to feel his emotions and pain. I believe I have one with Peter too, whenever he was missing I would get these nightmares. At the time I believed they were just twisting my memories of Hydra into something different- painful. I would wake up screaming, feeling as though I’d been electrocuted. I asked Friday if I was hurt anywhere but all she would say is that I had a nightmare. Now that I know of Peter’s abilities I think I was living his memories.” She explained sadly. Tony tilted his head in confusion, “When you created the telepathic bond with your brother was he able to speak without you initiating the conversation?” The young woman nodded. “So you and Peter have the same bond then, it's possible when he got his powers you two were close enough it was created as a side effect.” Tony hypothesised. 

Wanda tilted her head in though, closing her eyes to search her powers. She felt the cold emptiness where her connection to her brother used to reside, next to it was this gold light, she examined it and only felt a peaceful breath. Wanda opened her eyes and Tony cleared his throat, “Your- uh- your eyes are red.” he stuttered. She flushed, “Sorry, I went searching and I think I found Peter and I’s connection. Usually there would be emotions coming from it but it was just still and peaceful. That makes sense though, considering his current situation.” Wanda said, feeling the peace settle in her muscles. “I told you of this because I wanted you to know that he has someone who understands that part of himself. And that you can come to me with questions.” She said with an honest smile, Tony smiled back. “Thank you Wanda. I know Peter loves you like a sister, I’m glad he has you.” He says, feeling like a wall was broken down between them.

~~~

The next morning Tony gets on a jet feeling a strong sense of accomplishment for all that he’s gotten done since arriving. Natasha hugs him before he boards, while Bucky and Wanda give him mutually respectful handshakes. He gets on the jet with a wave to his team members, sighing at the sense of guilt sitting heavily in his stomach for leaving. Tony knows Peter would understand so he lets himself get sucked into a vacuum of emails as he travels across the world.

~~~

It’s been a week since Tony left and the remaining heros have been talking about the darker realities of becoming someone's weapon. They're all lying in Wanda’s bed, Natashas braiding the other woman's hair while Bucky is sharpening Peter’s knife. Wanda cleared her throat, “Don’t you think we should wait until he comes out, you never know how he’ll react to the treatment.” she lightly suggested. Bucky huffed, “Even with the treatment, I still have trouble dealing with this shit.” he said, the russian accent coming out. Natasha smirked at them, “I don’t think it’s going to matter either way. We all know that Spider-Man never let anyone see that something affected him. Remember when he would stay at the tower on the weekends for training?” she says, waiting for them to nod. 

Natasha watched the way Bucky's hand tightens around the knife, “He would leave his room at varying hours of the night to walk around. I never followed him because I know he could hear me, but it’s pretty obvious he was having nightmares and never told anyone. I asked Friday once and she said she ‘wasn't at liberty to say’ which is Tony for butt out.” Natasha says with a smile. Bucky has completely turned away from them, the two women share a look then stare at his back with matching smirks. “Do you know where he was волк (wolf)?” Wanda asked innocently. Bucky turned to glare at them “Нет. Неважно, где он был. Это не твое дело. (No. It doesn't matter where he was. It’s none of your business.)” Bucky growls. The two women look at him then each other before laughing.

Bucky doesn't tell them how Peter would walk past his room and punch the bag till his hands bleed, or how Bucky would wait to follow him and teach him to wrap his hand so they wouldn't bleed. How Peter would go up to the roof to sit on the edge while Bucky would plead for him to get down, how he would sob apologies when Bucky finally got him on solid ground. The older man felt anger course through him, “Молчи! Это было не так. (Shut up! It wasn't like that.)” Bucky said through clenched teeth. They stopped laughing and looked at the protective glint in his eyes before apologising. Bucky took a deep breath, “Even if he recovers fully, he’ll still remember everything that Hydra did to him. You can’t forget when someone cuts your arm off… or brands you as their property.” he says, reaching to feel the puckered skin on his shoulder. Natasha sets a comforting hand on his thigh, “No, you can never forget that. But you can find friends who can share your pain and lighten the load.” she says softly, as they share a genuine smile. 

They continue to talk about how to help Peter, when the topic changes to their first time meeting Peter. “Tony had told me about someone to help us during the fight, I had already known about Spider-Man. I was on a mission in Queens, simple data extraction but our intel was wrong. The building was full of agents, I could've handled them all but it wouldn't have been easy. After bullets started flying a window broke, everyone turned to shoot at the intruder. Peter had taken down three agents before they got within a foot of him. Once I realized he wasn't an enemy I stopped aiming at him, he patched into my coms somehow and fanboyed for a solid five minutes before explaining that he was here to help.” Natasha smiled at the memory while the other two laughed. 

“He was knocking out the agents and tying them up when I felt a bullet graze my shoulder. Peter immediately took out the three guys he was fighting and punched the man who shot me unconscious. I could hear the bone in his jaw crack.” She smiled devilishly. “He got me to safety and stopped the bleeding as much as possible, before going back into the building and trapping the rest of the agents. Peter brought me back into the room, I suppose he knew I wouldn't leave till I finished my mission. I tried to thank him for saving me but when I looked around for him he was gone. There was a note on a pile of unconscious or dead agents that read ‘Spiders have to stick together.’” Natasha explained with a smile. Wanda was listening with rapt attention, while Bucky just had fond admiration on his face. “How many guys did he take down?” Wanda asked, Natasha thought for a moment. “I’d say about 15 by himself, we worked together to knock out at least 25 agents.” She said, pride in her eyes. Bucky whistled, impressed.

Wanda just laughed at the image of a younger Spider-Man taking down 25 trained agents. “The first I saw of him was during the fight, he used my powers against me. I remember being so frustrated that a small guy in spandex could climb over cars to knock me over.” She smiled while the two snorted. “The first time I met him though was during the Accord negotiations. He came over to me and apologized for my loss. I was so confused, I knew he was talking about my brother but very few people know of his death. I was about to get angry but he explained that he could see it in my face. We went on a walk away from the reporters and he told me about his uncle, he said there was a look on my face that I was always searching for someone in the crowd and said his aunt did the same. I started crying and told him I lost my brother, he gave me one of the best hugs I’ve received since Pietro. I knew there was something special about him from that moment on.” Wanda said, dazed from the memory. 

“God he is too good for this world.” Bucky exclaimed, the two nodded in agreement. “Your turn волк (wolf).” Natasha smirked. The old man sighed, “Fine, during the fight at the airport he attacked Sam and I while we were running through a terminal. He managed to kick Sam through a store front and catch my arm in the same sequence. It was easily one of the most confusing things I’ve experienced, the costume thing confused me. There's no actual protection to the suit and it’d be awful for stealth. When he caught my fist he tilted my arm to the side and said ‘You have a metal arm?! That is awesome dude!’” Bucky said, impersonating Peter’s voice, making the girls laugh. “We fought each other, he threw a sign at my head, almost decapitating me.” He said with a fond smile, making the girls smile knowingly at him. “He easily took Sam and I down. But I didn't see him again till he started visiting the tower after the Homecoming fiasco. I was going into the gym one day and he was swinging around without the suit but still had the mask on.” Bucky flushed at the memory of seeing the glistening lithe muscles.

“He dropped down in front of me, his smile was visible through the mask. He offered to leave and give me some privacy but I asked him to spar with me instead. I could tell he was nervous, later I discovered it wasn't for the reason I thought. He had me on the floor in thirty seconds.I have no idea how…” The older man trailed off with a smile, caught up in his memories. Natasha and Wanda looked at eachother and figured it was time. “Alright волк (wolf) what’s going on between the two of you?” Natasha said, as Bucky sputtered, his cheeks pink. “He’s blushing!” Wanda said through giggles. “Am not! There’s nothing going on between us.” Bucky said, raising a hand to his cheek, feeling the warmth there. They gave a look that said ‘Cut the bullshit’ and he sighed. “I've had a crush on him since the fight in the airport.” Bucky said begrudgingly, “I know that he’s a lot younger than I am and could never really want me back but I can’t help it.” he said with a sad smile. The woman just shook their heads, “It’s alright Bucky we won't judge you, you’re basically only 30 years old anyway.” Natasha said, Wanda nodded in agreement. “And I wouldn't be so sure about him not returning your feelings.” Wanda said with a knowing smile.

“There were times when I thought he might like me back but nothing ever came from it. He would sit next to me during team movie nights and I could feel his eyes on me when we worked out together... “ Bucky explained, leaving out the longing looks during the bad nights. The woman just smirked at him, “Trust us Bucky, if you asked him out he’d probably say yes.” Wanda said with a knowing glance to where Peter’s room was. Bucky smiled widely and the two women started talking about finding dinner.

~~~

For the next week the group visits Peter almost daily, sometimes they go together but usually they go alone. After being in Wakanda for a month Natasha gets called back for a mission, Wanda decides to go with her, leaving Bucky by himself. He hugs them goodbye with a promise to call soon. Wanda tries one last time to get him to come home but understands why he can't. Bucky watches his team members leave one at a time, not blaming them for wanting to go back. He misses the rush of the city and movie nights with the team, it wouldn't be the same without a certain spider though.

~~~

Bucky talks to Okoye about moving back into his farm, she happily lets him, saying the goats missed him. The first week of November and after two months of being in Wakanda he’s fully moved back into his farm, not wearing his arm. He makes the walk to the lab once a week to visit Peter and update the team on his progress. He talks to Peter sometimes after Shuri catches him staring at the tube forlornly. She tells him that it’s theorized that you can hear your surroundings and Bucky gets small memories of Steve’s voice telling him about life before the war. He mostly tells Peter how much everyone misses him (quietly adding that he misses him more than anything.) and how life back on the farm is. He’ll tell him stories about funny things the goats or neighboring kids do. 

~~~

The week of Thanksgiving Tony, Pepper and May fly down to visit. Bucky greets them as they get off the jet, he immediately recognises May from how Peter described her. “Welcome to Wakanda.” He says with a smile, Bucky shakes Tony’s hand. May wraps him in a hug and Bucky freezes in her arms, he slowly wraps his arm around her. He whispers an apology in her ears and she pulls away with a watery smile and shakes her head. “You must be Bucky, Peter’s told me all about you.” May said with a smile as Bucky led them to Peter’s room. “Actually May, this is Jesus.” Tony joked, pointing at the draped fabric Bucky was wearing. Pepper smacked his arm but laughed quietly. “Ha ha very funny tin can.” Bucky smirked while Tony sputtered.

The group reached the doors but Tony stopped them, “May I think you should know that Peter was in real bad condition before he was here so he might look different.” he warned lightly. May nodded to him as they walked through the doors. Tony lets out a sigh, not used to the visible scars littering his arm and the way the right sleeve just falls against his shoulder. “He- uh looks a bit better now that he’s not malnourished.” Tony says quietly, standing next to Bucky while May looks over her nephew. May lets out a whimper and sobs, resting her forehead against the glass. She looks up at him, looking over the closed eyes to the missing arm. She gasps quietly when she recognises the incision scars on his arm. Pepper puts an arm around her shoulders and swallows thickly around the knot in her throat. Bucky says he’ll give them some time alone and goes to sit heavily in the chairs outside the lab.

Seeing Peter’s aunt break down reminded Bucky of when they first found Peter, the pleading look to not lose control. He takes a fortifying breath and puts his head in his hand. Bucky was too lost in his thoughts to hear the door open or the light footsteps coming towards him. He jumps when he feels a faint hand on his shoulder, he almost attacks the person before realizing its May. “Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I wanted to give Tony and Pepper some time with him but I also needed a break.” She speaks softly, Bucky nods, not trusting his voice. May pauses before asking, “Can you tell me what happened? I know Tony is trying to protect me by not telling me everything that happened but the more I know, the better I can help him.”. Bucky looks at the older woman, seeing the toll losing her nephew has brought on her. He lets out a small sigh before explaining mostly everything, leaving out all the people he’s killed, stabbing Steve and Peter choking him.

When he finished the story May had tears running down her cheeks. Bucky set a comforting hand over hers, she looked up at him with watery eyes and thanked him for telling the truth before getting up and walking back into the lab.

Later Bucky went into the room to invite the others to dinner, they all said yes then went to their rooms to freshen up. The older man went back to his hut, changing into more modern clothes and putting his prosthetic on before walking back into the palace. The others were still getting ready so Bucky went to visit Peter.

“It’s Thanksgiving back in the states, everyone wishes you could be there. There’s no rush though, we just want you better… I want you to get better. I miss when we’d watch movies at the tower and you’d make fun of me for getting the Star Wars characters mixed up.” Bucky smiled at the memory, lifting a hand to the glass. “I miss when you’d come find me when you needed help with history, even though we both know Steve remembers more. I even miss when you’d absolutely beat my ass during training because I got cocky, saying that I would beat you-” a small laugh bubbled from the corner of the room. Bucky spun around to see May leaning against the wall, wiping away a stray tear. “That definitely sounds like Peter.” She said with a laugh before coming to stand next to him, observing Bucky. “Yeah, he’s certainly a unique person.” He said awkwardly, “How much of that did you hear?” she smiled at him. “Enough, how long have you liked him?” May asked, causing Bucky to sputter, looking from Peter to May before sighing. “Since the first time I spoke to him. His first words were ‘You have a metal arm? That is awesome dude!’ and that was during a fight. After everything was resolved he came up to me and asked all about the arm and told me that it wasn't my fault… He’s the first person to not look at my arm like it was something to be feared… like I wasn't something to be feared.” He said, trailing off. May smiled knowingly at him, “Peter has never been one to judge someone for their past. I won’t say too much because it’s not my place, but you’re very important to him too…” she said before walking out to check if Tony and Pepper were ready. 

Bucky just stood there gaping, before turning back to Peter with a blush on his cheeks. “Uh, let’s hope you didn't hear that.” he said, walking away, missing the muscles under Peter’s eyelids twitch. 

~~~

While the group went out to dinner, back at the lab Shuri and her team are looking at all the readings, trying to figure out where the flurry of brain activity came from and how it was possible.

~~~

Bucky joined May for tea the morning before they had to head back to New York. Bucky had been taking a drink when one of the doctors came out and told them it would be less than a month before Peter was ready to wake up. The two shared dazzling smiles and toasted to Peter 

While waiting for the jet to take off May grabbed Bucky’s metal hand, ignorant of the frozen soldier staring at their conjoined hands. Bucky broke out in a blinding smile before bringing the woman into a hug. He felt her smile against his shoulder, “Thank you for being there for him.” she whispered. “He’d do it for me.” Bucky said as they pulled away. He shook Tony and Pepper’s hands as they got on the jet, waving as the doors closed. 

Bucky started the long walk back to the farm. Once changed back into his farm clothes and took off his arm, he walked over to the small lake and sat on the bench by the waterfront. Bucky made a silent vow to bring Peter here and watch the sunset over the water together.

~~~

The old man started visiting Peter twice a week until on December 15th, when Shuri tells him Peter will wake in a few days. Bucky immediately calls May and leaves her the message, then calls Steve who tells him the team will be there tomorrow. He walks into the familiar room, looking at Peter, who’s skin is no longer gray and lifeless. “Only a few more days дорогой (my dear). The team is getting ready to come bring you home right now, we can't wait to see you again.” Bucky says with a smile.

As the light of a new day shines through the cracks in his hut, Bucky couldn't be happier. He gets out of bed and changes into a nice pair of jeans and a v-neck tee from the trunk under his bed. The sun sparkles on the freshly polished arm as Bucky walks up to the palace, the hum of an incoming jet reaches his ears, making him smile. 

The quinjet lands and Steve walks off first, jogging up to him and patting him on the back “It’s good to see you Buck.”. Bucky smiles at his old friend, “You too Stevie, how’s the leg-” he was interrupted by Wanda and Natasha running over to him. “Джеймс! (James!)” Wanda yelled, a smile on her face, “Мы скучали по тебе Волк. (We missed you Wolf.)” Natasha said, punching him in the arm with a smile. Bucky hugged both of them, glad to be near his friends again. He waved to Tony and Bruce as the team headed inside

Steve, Natasha and Wanda went to see Peter first, while Tony and Bruce spoke to T’challa about Peter’s new arm. Bucky was sitting in the same window Peter sat in when they first got here, thinking about the long road to recovery in front of them but ready to spend time with his friend again. 

He sat, losing himself in thought till Natasha stuck her head out through the doors, beckoning him in the room. Shuri walked into the room with Tony, Bruce and T’challa, who was holding a similar box to the one he stored his arm in. “It’d be best if there was only one person in the room when he wakes up so he’s not overwhelmed.” Shuri spoke, silencing the light chatter in the room. Tony and Natasha immediately started playing rock, paper, scissors. Natasha won and announced Bucky would be in the room, he sent her a thankful smile as Tony sputtered. Soon everyone walked out into the waiting room, T’challa set the box down on a nearby table, opening it to reveal an arm similar to his own but with blue and red instead of gold. Bucky nodded his thanks to the King who soon stepped out of the room.

“We are going to begin the waking up process.” Shuri said over the speaker, Bucky held his breath at the hiss from the tube filled the room. He watched as Peter’s eyes fluttered and his fingers twitched. Peter’s eyes peeled open before becoming wide and panicked. Bucky looked at Shuri, she shrugged helplessly. Bucky exhaled sharply, looking back at Peter who was gaining the use of his body back but his eyes still had that anxious far away look to them. 

Suddenly Bucky felt the rush of cold air, closing his eyes at the mind splitting chill. When he opened his eyes he saw the familiar cryo room at a Hydra base. His body suddenly jerked and he heard Peter’s voice, it sounded like when he was the Winter Spider, but this was different, Bucky could hear the emotion, the pleading in deep gravely russian. He looked to his arms, seeing Hydra officers dragging a mostly limp, small body into a cryo chamber.

Bucky closed his eyes at the door shut, when he opened them he was breathing heavily, he spun around quickly to see Shuri’s lab. He wondered what Peter had done, he assumed that was Peter’s memory. Said person's eyes were red and had the same crimson energy swirling around his hands.

~~~

Shuri nodded the all clear and the door opened, Bucky moved slowly towards Peter so he didn't scare him. He rested a flesh hand on the back of Peter’s neck to help ground him, “You're not there Peter, you're not under their control.” Bucky said softly. Peter’s beautiful brown eyes snapped to his, “Bucky?” he said, panting softly. Bucky smiled as Peter wrapped his arm around his waist, he kept his hand on the back of his neck and put the other around his shoulders, cradling him like the precious thing he is. Peter let out a soft breath as he rested his forehead on Bucky’s chest, “I’m okay now?” he asked in a small voice. The older man sighed into Peter’s curls, “You’re safe now my dear.” Peter let out a happy sigh before letting go of his friend.

**Author's Note:**

> hope y’all like this. i’m making a chaptered fic to come after this so hopefully it’ll be up soon :)


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